The wrestling mat remained out of reach for India’s star grappler Vinesh Phogat on Monday as her much-anticipated return to competitive action was blocked by the Wrestling Federation of India at the Senior Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda. What was expected to mark the comeback of one of India’s most decorated wrestlers instead turned into another chapter in the long-running conflict between Vinesh and the national federation.
The two-time World Championships medallist had travelled from Kharkhoda in Haryana to Uttar Pradesh with hopes of returning to competition after nearly 20 months away from the mat. However, officials refused to allow her to complete the verification process required to participate in the women’s freestyle category at the tournament being held at Nandini Nagar Mahavishwavidyalaya in Gonda.
The development came only two days after the Wrestling Federation of India issued a detailed show-cause notice accusing Vinesh of disciplinary breaches and anti-doping related violations while also declaring her ineligible to compete in domestic tournaments until June 26.
Despite the suspension hanging over her participation, Vinesh reached the venue hoping to present her side directly before federation officials. Instead, she was informed by WFI president Sanjay Singh that she would not be permitted to compete. “I came here to wrestle. I didn’t come here to eat bhelpuri. I came here to compete and I wasn’t allowed to do that,” Vinesh said after the meeting. “They (Wrestling Federation of India) want that I give up wrestling and take sanyas and accept defeat,” she added while speaking to reporters outside the venue.
The controversy carries added political and emotional weight because the tournament is being held in Gonda, the stronghold of former WFI chief and former BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. In 2023, several women wrestlers had accused Brij Bhushan of sexual harassment during nationwide protests that shook Indian wrestling. Earlier this month, Vinesh publicly confirmed that she was among the complainants in the case.
“It’s on his (Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s) orders that all this is happening. This event is happening in his college. Who else is going to be responsible?” Vinesh alleged.
The WFI’s 15-page notice lists multiple allegations against the wrestler. According to the federation, Vinesh failed to observe the mandatory six-month notice period required under United World Wrestling anti-doping regulations for athletes returning from retirement. The notice also refers to an alleged whereabouts failure related to a missed doping test in December 2025 and claims she violated competition rules by participating in two different weight categories during Olympic qualification trials in 2024.
Another contentious point raised by the federation was Vinesh’s disqualification from the women’s 50 kg final at the Paris Olympics after she failed to make weight by a narrow margin, an incident the WFI described as a “national embarrassment.”
Vinesh strongly rejected the accusations and questioned the timing of the notice. “I didn’t even have time to fill the notice that they gave me on Saturday. I said I’ll give you (the WFI) a detailed answer in 14 days, but how can you find me guilty me before that? If you don’t get a reply after 14 days I understand, you can take action,” she said.
The 31-year-old wrestler maintained that she had informed the federation about her return months earlier and insisted she was eligible to compete. She also revealed that she had already registered for the Gonda event at the end of April. “I had informed the WFI on December 12 th that I was back at training and I was looking to make a return. Why did it take them six months and for me to return to a competition to say I couldn’t compete,” she asked.
Addressing the anti-doping allegations, Vinesh clarified that she had only one whereabouts failure and had not failed any doping tests.
“If I had violated any rule, then I would have been banned or given a show cause notice by NADA (National Anti Doping Agency) or WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) or I would have been banned. I had one whereabouts failure. But athletes are permitted three failures before being suspended,” she said. Vinesh further claimed that the International Testing Agency under United World Wrestling had cleared her to return to competition from January 1 this year. According to her, she even offered to show documentary evidence to WFI officials, but they declined to examine it.
WFI president Sanjay Singh defended the federation’s stance, stating that Vinesh would only be allowed to compete after responding satisfactorily to all charges raised in the notice. “She has 14 days within which she has to answer the questions we have raised only after which she will be permitted to return to competition,” Singh said. The standoff effectively sidelines Vinesh for most of the ongoing domestic season and raises uncertainty over her hopes of competing at major international events, including the Asian Games qualification pathway.
After being denied entry into the tournament, Vinesh reportedly attempted to access the training hall at the venue, only to find it locked as well. “I am not taking anyone’s rights. I am completely clean. All I’m asking is for a fair chance for myself,” she said before leaving the venue without stepping onto the mat.
